First beach detect

[abrakdabra]

? ?Hi y'all,
? ?First beach detect today, just finished. Used a 1270 Fisher and a Krylon steel sandscoop, looks like a rat cage with a duck bill, the handle welded on top.
? ?It was awesome. I just got a new motorbike, trading my 92 Vulcan 500 in for a 95 Virago 750 and drove along the coast forty kms down to the most famous beach in South Korea. Even in the last week of September there are people but not swimmers.
? ?No gold rings, jewellery of any kind. About four bucks in coins. Lots of iron bits of sparklers that were set in the sand. Nails, from ships. Bottle tops from the local vodka called 'soju'. Beer bottle caps. Bits of wire.
? ?Didn't go into the wet sand, just sweeping the dry. The beach is long, about four kms. I'll be back the day after tomorrow and, maybe the two days after that.
? ?At one spot were four 'quarters' together (Korean currency). Found a remote for an Olympus camera.
? ?It's very fast paced compared to the forest, my only experiences.
? ?At first I kneeled down to use the scoop, haha. Then I just bent over and scooped, stood sifting. Got a big magnet in the back which collected a lot of iron filings by the by. My favourite part is the scooping. Getting a fix then swooping with the scoop in a strong, fluid motion. It takes skill to do and is a kick.
? ?People came along and were curious.
? ?One guy had two young boys about eight. He spoke English well and walked along as I swung. At one point there was a strong signal and I really dug, then quit. He and his boys kept digging and found an iron plate just another half a foot down, about a foot by one foot. We all got a laugh.
? ?Hairpins, hairclips, some of those.
A librarian looking lady asked in good English what I was doing. Looking for coins, I said. Did it make me a living?, she asked.
Some elderly folks followed along, intrigued.
A bunch of college students, one of whom asked, 'what's going on?'. I said I was finding quarters. He threw a quarter down and buried it. I scooped it up and 'found it'. He said, 'keep it'.
Suspicious looks, guys with hands on hips. Until they followed the rythym of what I was doing and relaxed.
Teenage girl practising her English, asking alot of questions cheerfully. Thought it looked heavy and let her heft it. Not bad to swing it, not hard and not easy. So casual a feeling walking in sand, swinging, scooping. People around on their time off, looking at the sea.
Had to watch the wind didn't blow sand in their direction as I sifted. Aluminum pull tabs.
? ?All this kind of litter I didn't encounter looking in the woods for relics.
? ?I soon stopped looking down and watched the seadoos jumping waves off the beach. A couple were really big, with powerful engines. They all looked like wasps at sea, brrrrrrhhhhhh.
? ?And at the people, some good looking ladies.
? ?The waves rolling in, the line of the sky. Nice.
? ? Swinging along without looking down like a 'blind man with a cane'. Quick scoop and shake and pocket whatever it is and carry on. Nice.
? ? No discrimination and the silencer on.
? ? But arghhh, where be the gold?? By Blackbeard's wooden leg swear I I'll find it, be it the death of me

 

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[Darren in NC]

Hey abrakdabra, I'm not much of a beach hunter, but you've just about convinced me I should head to the coast! Sounds like you had a good time. Are you military or gov't contractor living in Korea? I worked in education in Uijonbu (just above Seoul) from 89-93. I'd move back in a heartbeat. What beach are you referring to? I'm sure you'll find some nice finds soon. Glad to hear you're having fun

 

[southern gent]

Nice hunt. I love beach hunting. I may move to the coast next year, if the wife will let me.
There is nothing like beach hunting at night. No one around , just me and the detector. Nothing like it. Good luck& HH! Chris

 

[abrakdabra]

Gotta love it, eh Southern Gent? Wonderful, beach hunting.
Darren! You worked up north of Seoul for a few years until '93. I worked around Chuncheon, two hours East of Seoul. Maybe that's near where you were. I've heard the name of the place you mention but never been there.
I work as an English teacher in a private, cram school teaching English to Korean kids 8-16. I know what you mean about how you would go back in a heart beat. Being in a different culture than the one you were brought up in is a kick. Korea's a nice place, I like it a lot.
About the beach detect. Some of the coins were old. That's the good part.
I went out the next day to another beach, this one smaller and near a big shipbuilding yard. The sand was full of iron filings! The powerful magnet I had stuck to the back of the scoop was quickly coated and I had to pinch-sweep the filings off regularly.
Not only that this beach allows camping and there were metal tent pegs and metal soju ('Korean vodka') caps galore.
Still, there were a few old/ancient coins among the coins.
And a few old, iron arrowheads. I know what they look like from detecting in the forests/mountains, otherwise I wouldn't have recognized them among the bloated with corrosion/seacrust shipnails, etc.
First thing I think about the beach is modern times. Sunbathing on towels and boomboxes. But the beach has been around for ages. Still, it's surprising when old things turn up. The contrast with all the people, hot dog venders, and so on is so vast.
Gotta like detecting on the beach!

 

[Darren in NC]

Yeah, I used to teach ESL in Seoul as a side job. I gave the students puppets to use while they were saying vocabulary words. That made it fun and put them at ease from the perfection that's usually expected of them in Asian culture.

South Korea has its own treasure island called Paengnyong Island. You can only get there from a ferry at Inchon. It is the northernmost island on the western side closest to N. Korea. It's a gorgeous place with tons of beaches. Back in the early 90s, you could go to Kongdol beach and pick up bean shaped quartz worn smooth by the surf. A jar of them would fetch quite a bit in Seoul. But I think it's outlawed to collect them now. But if you get the chance, you ought to go sightseeing there.

Take care - hope you have more fun at the beach.
Darren

 

[abrakdabra]

Hi Darren!
Paengnyong Island, accessible by ferry from Inchon. Can pick up smoothed quartz pebbles on the beaches (lots of beaches there). You call it Korea's 'treasure island'. Is there more to it than quartz pebbles, I wonder?
I've since heard that Haeundae beach has guys detecting in the morning. I figured no one did! Still, not many people detect here. I get the feeling from the curiosity I meet detecting the beach. Like, what?, huh? What's that guy doing I've got to take a look!
I detect you weren't too thrilled about teaching English as a side job, using puppets to relax them from the strict expectations of Asian culture. Fair enough, teaching English 'aint rocket science, but I still have a blast. Particularly with the 8-12 set who have fun and don't judge. Korea is changing quickly so I wonder if the Korea you knew in '93 is the same as nowadays. Change bolts along fast as lightning here, playing catch up.
I don't know where my next 12 month period of work here will be, maybe still down in the south but maybe elsewhere. There's also Kangwando island up near Seoul. The Royal court fled there out of the way when the Mongolians invaded, was it 1300? I'm not big into relics now and prefer the coin search along the beach with the odd relic throwin in, and old coinage.
As far as gold, I've heard Korea's use of it was slim. Put into tombs. Things such as thin, beaten gold sheet crowns. I'm not into digging for stuff that ought to be recovered by archaeologists and put into museums, you know?
Yeah, forgot about the possibility of beaches away from the East Coast here, facing Japan. There are alot of beaches up and down the East coast so I might just stick around here for the next 12 month job.
The Carolina beaches look wonderful from what I've seen in movies, such as Jaws , and 'The Summer of 42'.
Nice to talk with someone who expresses their love for Korea. I dig it too. Cheers!